Would like to confirm where and how the valve guides/valve stems receive their lubrication. With splash oiling, it's a long way from the dipper pans to the valve guides and it's all uphill! There is obviously and opening that allows oil in, but haven't been able to identify it exactly. Thanks for the info.

Mike, I don't think there is an opening that allows oil to reach the valve guides. There for I add every other gas tank some two stroke oil in the gas. Maybe it don't need it but it gives me a good feeling. I tell you why: When I was young, some 50 years ago, I used to help my grandmother by selling gas in her gasstation. As there was a car with a "Lateral engine" with each total gas fill up she gives the owner a little can(10cc) of "head oil" for free to add in his gas tank. The "head oil" was for lubrication of the valve guides.

The "head oil" don't exist any more so I use two stroke oil 1/50 on my 1958 Anglia and all the model T's

The engine vacuum will pull some oil into the intake valves. This intake of oil will increase with wear on the engine. There is some oil vaporized as a mist inside the crankcase, and that oil will work its way into the valve lifters and guides. It is unlikely any oil in the gasoline will make it as far as the exhaust valve guides because it will burn on combustion. And the exhaust pressure will tend to force any other oil out rather than into the valve guides.

The magnets on the flywheel sling oil all over the place where it bounces around. The rods sling it also. vacuum sucks it up the stems. OK OK there is no such thing as vacuum so it is air pressure that pushes it up the stem to the place where there is less pressure.

When you look at the design of the block, the valve guides are in a ledge above the large window in the side of the block to access the lifters and springs and are isolated from any potential splash from the rods. They have to get a steady supply of oil somehow, especially the exhaust valves which are operating in an inferno and would soon sieze. Obviously I need to look closer at the block architecture for the answer. Thanks for all the helpful feedback.

I always thought (no facts, just had the impression) that those two holes were there to allow the oil to drain back into the oil pan. I figured the oil got in there by the combined effects of splash, the up and down movement of the lifters, and a little from the intake suction (vacuum that does not exist).

Kenny, it would be an interesting experiment to see what one would see if the valve galley cover was replaced with some clear plexy. Seems I saw someplace a similar experiment with a plexy band inspection cover.

My 1912 block had no drain holes until I drilled them in 2008 during its rebuild. I pulled one of the valve covers after the engine had been running . I was rewarded with a half quart of oil when the cover was removed.